Leaps and Bounds
by myhummelberryheart
Summary: AU first meeting of HB. Kurt adopts two kittens, and one takes a leap of faith.


AN: Saw a pic with a guy in a blue hoodie with a kitten in it and thought of Kurt. Then Bruce and Colin. :)

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><p>Kurt should have known that by picking the two sleepiest kittens at the shelter he was getting the two that would be the most rambunctious. He had always wanted a cat, but his dad had never been interested. Now that he was on his own in New York, he had waited till he had enough money to adopt and pay for their shots and treats and things before taking the plunge. And at the moment he had two kittens crawling up and down his shoulders on the subway.<p>

"Alright you two," he said, chiding them as he picked them up gently by their scruff off his back. He could tell that Bruce and Colin were going to be a handful. They both looked at him with adoring eyes and he just melted. Bruce was a very deep, dark black kitten with yellow eyes and Colin was a orange ginger with white paws and the prettiest blue eyes. They snuggled up together in the crook of his arm for a nap. Kurt sighed at the amount of cat hair already on his blue hoodie. But they wouldn't stay in the carrier for anything. Some of the older people on the train were giving him looks for having cats on the subway, but how else was he going to get back to his apartment?

Besides, it had gotten him quite an added perk. Every girl between the shelter and the station had stopped to play with the kittens. It had even gotten him a few phone numbers to "text them sometime."

"We may just have to do that," said Kurt to Bruce with a chuckle. The little black kitten was purring as Kurt was rubbing under its neck.

"Hey, where are you going?" said Kurt to Colin as the little ginger kitten started up his arm. But before Kurt could move to get him, Colin had climbed inside the hood of his sweatshirt. A little orange face peeped out at him and he heard a little "mew." His neighbor on the seat, an elderly Chinese man in a red and yellow raincoat, laughed at the noise, looking at the back of the seat and Kurt's hood. Kurt laughed himself at the cat's movements. Colin went deeper into his hood and had curled up.

"Why not?" said Kurt to himself as he put Bruce in with him. Neither one of them had liked the cloth carrier he had brought, and they were a little too active for him to hold in his hands and try to do things he needed to do. Bruce snuggled up against Colin. Kurt was almost relieved to have a quiet moment. He pulled out his phone to make sure his class schedule hadn't changed for tomorrow. He hoped the two kittens would be quiet for the rest of the ride.

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><p>Bruce and Colin slept all the way through the train trip and Kurt had almost made it up the stairs out of the station when he felt little kitten claws dig into the material. He felt something scamper out and he carefully picked up Bruce off his neck.<p>

"Did you have a good nap?" said Kurt to the kitten. He slid his bag around to put Bruce in the crook of his arm. The kitten was interested in the world around him as they walked. Kurt couldn't blame him. There probably wasn't much to look at in the shelter besides the other dogs and cats and the occasional human bringing him food and water.

"Oh!" said a voice behind him. "I didn't know kittens fell from the sky. Hi little guy. Or girl. You might be a girl." Kurt panicked at that, realizing he no longer felt the weight of Colin at his neck or back. He spun around and found a girl around his own age holding his new orange kitten and smiling at it.

"You're a sweet kitty aren't you?" she cooed at it. Kurt had to give his new cat kudos. He had good taste in women whose arms he jumped into. This girl had long curled brown hair, the brightest smile, and a nice pair of legs that seemed to take up most of her body. She had also dropped her purse and bag right there in the middle of the street, presumably to cradle his kitten.

"I am so sorry," he said, reaching down to pick up her things. "He was in the hood of my sweatshirt and I—"

"Oh, he's yours?" said the girl. "And here I thought I could take him home," she said, looking a little sad at the thought. "You are a beautiful little orange angel, yes you are."

Colin meowed at that. Kurt had to keep from rolling his eyes. Apparently the cat was quite the charmer.

"I just adopted him. Us. I mean the— kittens— them. Them," said Kurt nervously, handing her back her bag and purse as he chided himself for rambling. He pointed out Bruce, who was peeping out from behind the extra material of his sleeve as she shouldered her things.

"Aw, you're beautiful," said the girl. She reached out and petted him too. Bruce seemed to be happy at the attention he was getting. He batted at her hand and she laughed.

"They're playful," she said with a smile. "I'm sorry. I'm being rude," she said, holding out her hand. "Rachel Berry."

"Kurt. Kurt Hummel," he said, shaking her hand. "And this is Bruce. You're holding Colin. Which I'm thinking maybe doing some high flying antics as he gets older."

"He doesn't seem to mind them now," commented Rachel. She handed Colin back to Kurt and smiled at the kitten. "You're named after one of my favorite characters."

"Colin…" began Kurt.

"From the _Secret Garden_," said Rachel. "It's one of my favorite books, even now still."

"Me too," said Kurt. "I always liked how he and Mary made each other better even as children. That's where I got the name from actually."

"Oh?" said Rachel. She seemed surprised. Kurt nodded in the affirmative. She looked at him for a moment, as if questioning whether he was telling the truth. It was quiet as people milled about them, going to their destinations. They should really start walking again, but neither one of them moved. They were blocking foot traffic, which was almost a heresy in the city. But Kurt really wanted to know more about Rachel. She liked cats and a good children's book. There had to be more to her. He couldn't just let this go.

"You know, I live just about a block from here," said Kurt slowly. "I need to get them home and settled. They're probably hungry. I could… make you some tea? You saved my kitten. I feel like I owe you something for a great catch."

"Well, he jumped on me… so I suppose it's better than scampering down the street and never seeing him again…" She looked apprehensive.

"I'm still quite new to New York… and not really comfortable with going with someone I just met, even if he is cute and carrying two kittens."

Kurt tried not to blush, but he couldn't help himself.

"You think I'm cute?"

"It's about the only thing that's kept you from being pepper sprayed by now."

Kurt whimpered and held the kittens closer. Colin seemed to protest by sticking his claws in Kurt's wrist. He winced at the sharpness of the kitten's nails.

Rachel laughed at that, watching Colin. "Okay, now I'll go. If any guy would protect his kittens before his own eyes or manhood, he must be at least slightly trustworthy."

"I assure you I am quite harmless," said Kurt. He pointed off to the right at a street corner as they started walking again.

"Can I hold Colin again?" asked Rachel. Kurt was amused by that and handed her the orange and white kitten, who didn't seem to mind the transfer. He started playing with her hair that was around her shoulders.

"I think I like your new daddy," she whispered into his little kitten ear. "He likes tea and cats, which are my two favorite things next to ballet."


End file.
